Automatic electric regulator.



W. L. BLISS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 29, 1911. RENEWED JULY 28,1916.

1,197,177. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM L. .BL'Iss, or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YQBK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT & HEAT CORPOR CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

Arron, OF'NIAGARA FALLS, NEW. YORK, A

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed April 29, 1911, Serial No. 624,112. Renewed July 28, 1916 Serial No. 111,957.

. tric regulators.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a regulator which shall regulate voltage within close limits and which shall be stable in operation Another object is to provide a regulator having various improved instrumentalities,

each of which may be adjusted so as to produce the desired cooperation with the remaining instrumentalities'.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of regulator-is illustrated as applied to a car lighting systems The regulator may assume other forms and may be used in other clrcults andsystems.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a regulator connected in a car lighting system which includes a regulator; lfigs. 2 and 3 illustrate respectively, a front and side elevation of the regulator relay.

The drawings show a generator having an armature 1 and shunt field 2 having in series therewith any suitable regulating resistance 3. The external circuit of the generator is through conductors 4 and 5. An automatic switch 6 is adapted to close the external circuit through a storage battery 7 connected across said circuit and through lamps 8 connected in parallel across said circuit. The switch 5) is adapted to open and close the circuit to the lamps.

In order to prevent an excessive voltage from being impressed on the lamps, I provide a variable resistance 10 in series there-.

with. The variable resistance consists of a series of carbon plates normally under pressure between end blocks, one of which is adjustable and the other of which may be moved by lever 11, bell crank lever 12 and plunger 13 to vary the pressure on said plates. The plunger 13 is normally in lowermost position, due to its weight assisted by a spring, 14: whereby the resistance 10 is normally minimum. A dash pot 15 steadies the action of the plunger and associated parts. i r

'The Variations of the resistance 10, due to the movement of the plunger 13. are controlled by the solenoid 16. connected in shunt Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

across the circuit through an. adjustable rev sistance 17. The solenoid 16 is normally short circuited by the contactmember 18, held in uppermostposition by a spring 19.

A voltage responsive coil 20 is connected in shunt across the circuit and upon prear ranged risein voltage. is adapted ,to-move the member 18 downwardly for the purpose of introducing solenoid ll) into the circuit.

vA difi'er'ential coil 21 is connected in a paroppose or counteract the voltagecoil 20 and permit the spring 19 to again retract the short circu ting contact member 18. Thus it compensates for the varying reluctance of I the air gap and by increasing the rapidity of the vibrations, the sensitiveness of the regulator is increased. is obtained in thepreferred construction by connecting the coil 21 in parallel with the coil 20, I do'not limit myself to this connection. a

\Vhi-le this action The operation of the variable resistance device is as follows: Upon a tendency of the impressed voltage on the lamp circuit to increase above the proper value, the voltage coil 20 opens the short circuit. and introduces the solenoid 16 into the circuit.- The plunger 13 is drawn up thereby relieving somewhat the pressure on the carbon plates-and increasing the resistance inseries with the lamps. The increased resistance tends to cause a decrease in the energization of the 'voltz'ige coil 2,0 whereupon the spring 100 1!) retracts and the solenoid 16 is again short circuited. The cycle of operation is repeated rapidly, the vibration of the contact member 18 beingvery rapid. The differential coil 21 increases the rapidity of10 5 the vibration by opposing the voltage coil as soon .as the short circuit is opened. When there is a tendency to impress a still higher voltage on the lam'p'circuit, the solenoid 16 is introduced into the circuit for correspondingly longer successive intervals of time.

The current flowing through solenoid 16 during such longer intervals of time is greater, due to the increasing voltage. Hence, both the current and the effective intervals' are probably greater, producing a magnifying effect. For this reason the reg-. ula-tor responds readily to any slight tendency toward voltageincrease. Thus it will be seen that uthe character of the vibration determines the regulation.

Inpractice the variable resistance and associated parts are usually mounted beneath the car. The short circuiting device or regulator relay is usually mounted in the car. Of course, both devices may be mounted on a common panel, if desired.

The preferred structure of the regulator spring adjustably secured near the "top of said solenoid at one end and connected to an extension of said 'core at its other end 7 to partially support said corega contact arm carried by a lowergend of said. core and haying acarbon contact at eaclr end, a rela tively stationary carbon contact cooperating with each of said first contacts and resiliently mounted, means for -adjusting said stationary contactswhereby uponene'rgization of said voltage coil said arm and the contatts carried thereby may be rapidly 'vibrated to'periodically open and close a circuit in a branch ofwhich said opposing coil is included.

2. A' regulator comprising a' variable pressure rheostat, a controlling Winding for operating said rheostat and a relay device for normally short-circuiting said controlling winding but adapted .to introduce said relay is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 'Thebase' or 'windin'g rapidly into circuit for regulating panel 22 supports the iron-clad .magnet frame 23-enveloping' the voltage coil and differential coil described above. The core or plunger 24 is supported above andbelow by resilient vibratile members 25. I An arm 26 projects from the lower end of. thecore and has secured thereto the spring 19 hav-' ing the function described above; The

spring is adjustable by means of the screw 27. 1 The lower end of the core 24; carries the arm 12 provided at opposite ends with con-- 7 tacts 28 adapted to cooperate with stationary i contacts 29 for rapidly opening the circuit -co nplis hing the desired result and falling through the arm 12 when the plunger or core is vibrated. ,Each stationary contact is resiliently moun'tedon a helical spring 30 which may be adjusted by the stud 31. Although in the preferred construction two sets of contacts are employed, I do not limit myself to this number. 1

In view of the various adjustments described,it is apparent that the plunger and contacts may be so regulated as to produce a very rapid short circuiting action. By

the use of a double set of contacts the sparking is reduced. l

- (I do not desire a; limit myself to the at tails of construction described above, but desire to cover any suitable'means forflacwithinthe scope of thekappended claims.

I claim asmy invention- 1. Agelayfor a lamp regulator comprising a base oripanel, a differentially wound solenoid mounted thereon, said solenoid -coinpri's ing a voltage responsive coil andan opposing-fcoil, a core vertically ;mounted. within -*said solenoid and supported at opposite ends by resilient vibratile reeds, a

purposes, said relay being responsive to varlatlons in voltage and including a double contact device and a voltage coil for operat-[ age and including a double contact device, .a voltage coil for operating said double contacts and a difierentialcoil connected in parallel'with said controlling solenoid and normally short-circuited by said contacts.

"4. A regulator comprising contacting carbon platesarranged to form partof an electric circuit, a series of levers connected to a movablecore for varying the pressure on the series of plates to vary the resistance of the circuit, a controlling winding for operating said'core, and a relay device for normally short-cireuiting said winding but adapted to: introduce it into ashunt circuit at'rapid intervals for regulating purposes,

- said relay' being responsive 'to voltage rise,

on said circuit and including-a double 0011- f tact device,a voltage coil' for operatingthe' contacts, and-a differential coil connected in parallel with. said windingvand norm'alty short-circuited by said 7 contacts. In 'wltness whereof, I havehereunto subscrlbed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

'. itnesses:

GEO. P. J0me, MAX. M. OPBENHEIM.

WILLIAM L. rass? 

